Armbrister stressed that it would be premature to draw any final conclusions from the 550-page report, cautioning that “much supplementary research must still be done.”

“Yes, we do need more data,” she said. “But regardless, it is apparent that a severe gulf exists between rich and poor. And this cannot be mere coincidence. There is clearly an unknown mitigating factor at work here, and I strongly suspect it may be financial in nature.